Commuting patterns of Czech households exposed to flood risk

Using unique data collected from October to December 2012, we estimate the link between commuting to and from work and the level of household exposure to floods. The result suggests an empirical puzzle - individuals affected by only one flood are roughly 10% more likely to engage in the commuting activity, whereas households affected by two floods are 13% less likely to do so. We check the robustness of this result by operationalizing the past exposure to floods with variables that describe the geographical location of the house and its characteristics. We explain the puzzle by the fact that individuals commute to work in order to accumulate resources to decrease the household's vulnerability to flood risk, amongst other reasons. When the flood risk is high, some households out-migrate, and stayers commute less, probably, for similar reasons as why they stay. Further, we find evidence in support of the "network effect" hypothesis - an individual with an active commuter in the household is by 47% more likely to commence commuting. We also find that flood affected commuters travel shorter distance for work

Repository of drought event impacts across the danube catchment countries between 1981 and 2016 using publicly available sources

Drought directly and indirectly affects human society in a number of ways. In many regions of the world climate change will exasperate the effects of droughts, affect national economies more intensely. The main aim of this article was to catalogue and analyze the drought impacts in the 11 Central and South Eastern European states located in the Danube river basin. The identification of dry episodes was based on information from publicly available sources, namely, newspaper and journal articles that reported drought impacts. Information on drought impact occurrences was classified into one of five defined categories in which the drought impact report was most clearly manifested (i.e., agriculture, forestry, soil systems, wildfires and hydrology). In terms of the spatial distribution of drought impacts, individual recorded events were analyzed at the level of EU NUTS regions (or their equivalent in non-EU countries). The analysis highlights country-specific vulnerability to drought. Furthermore, gradual increases in drought events and the number of reported impacts were identified, which was particularly evident in the agricultural sector

Managing floodplains using nature‐based solutions to support multiple ecosystem functions and services

Floodplains include unique environments shaped over a long time horizon along rivers and smaller streams and formed by alluvial sediments. As floodplains are flat, often with highly fertile and well-accessible land, they have become the intrinsic focus of human society—while providing a variety of goods and ecosystem services. Intensive land use of floodplains is degrading their natural values and significantly reducing their ecosystem functions and services. A significant part of these key services is related with the ability of floodplains to retain water and nutrients, which can be understood as a flood control and a water-retention function. Although these ecosystems serve a number of other basic functions, the importance of floodplains as a place for water retention during extreme discharges caused by intense rainfall or snowmelt and the supply of water in times of drought are essential under conditions of global change. In order to increase the ability of floodplains to perform these functions, it is increasingly required to preserve the connectivity of rivers with surrounding floodplains and adapt human activities to maintain and restore river ecosystems. This article reviews the recent understanding of floodplain delineation, the most common causes of disturbance, the ecosystem functions being performed, discussing in turn the measures being considered to mitigate the frequency and magnitude of hydrologic extremes resulting from ongoing environmental changes

Bringing the margin to the focus: 10 challenges for riparian vegetation science and management

Riparian zones are the paragon of transitional ecosystems, providing critical habitat and ecosystem services that are especially threatened by global change. Following consultation with experts, 10 key challenges were identified to be addressed for riparian vegetation science and management improvement: (1) Create a distinct scientific community by establishing stronger bridges between disciplines; (2) Make riparian vegetation more visible and appreciated in society and policies; (3) Improve knowledge regarding biodiversity—ecosystem functioning links; (4) Manage spatial scale and context-based issues; (5) Improve knowledge on social dimensions of riparian vegetation; (6) Anticipate responses to emergent issues and future trajectories; (7) Enhance tools to quantify and prioritize ecosystem services; (8) Improve numerical modeling and simulation tools; (9) Calibrate methods and increase data availability for better indicators and monitoring practices and transferability; and (10) Undertake scientific validation of best management practices. These challenges are discussed and critiqued here, to guide future research into riparian vegetation

Riparian Zones—From Policy Neglected to Policy Integrated

1. Riparian zones are vital areas of interaction between land and rivers and are often degraded by several pressures such as urbanisation, intensive agriculture and river engineering works. 2. This policy brief provides five key policy messages and recommendations to be considered by policy-makers, scientists, managers, and stakeholders to enhance riparian zone management. 3. Adopting an integrated socioeconomic and environmentally dynamic view will ensure the sustainable management of riparian zones. 4. In light of climate change, it is critically important to conserve and/or restore the ecological integrity of riparian zones. 5. European Union Directives and national-scale legislation and regulations need updating to ensure coordinated implementation of riparian zone-related policies. 6. Stakeholder knowledge exchange, policy co-creation and adaptive management are key to enhancing riparian zone functions

Towards the issue of ecosystem services of small watercourses in the Czech Republic

Th e issue of ecosystem services represents a hot topic especially in connection with quantitative expression of their values and research of functions, which the landscape provides to a human society. Th e question of ecosystem values research is solved with a focus on the river landscape, defi ned as the ecosystem along watercourses whose functioning is directly conditioned by the presence of the hydrographical network. Since it is a very attractive area for the implementation of human needs, there is oft en what is seen as a confl ict between activities of human society and the eff ects of natural processes. Catchment areas of small watercourses or their parts which are specifi c in terms of mutually diff erent intensity of anthropogenic pressure on the landscape were selected as the model sites. Th e main aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the value of landscape ecosystem services – either usage of existing methodologies for ecosystem valuation, the rate of small watercourse degradation and changes in their natural parameters (morphology of the river channel and riparian zones)

The importance of hydromorphological analysis in evaluating floodplain disturbances – an upper Stropnice River case study

This contribution deals with a comparative analysis of the hydromorphological state of a river network and the ecological status of a neighbouring floodplain area. The issue has gained great importance especially in addressing the causes and effects of flood events, which are an increasingly frequent manifestation of global environmental change at the local level. The area of interest was the upper part of the Stropnice River basin in Southern Bohemia with an area of about 100 km2. The basin is characterized by wide variability of natural conditions and human activities. The main objective was to analyse how the river’s morphological status affects habitat type naturalness. We endeavoured to determine the extent to which hydromorphological modifications contributed to transforming riparian natural habitats into more human-influenced habitats. Based on the results, we can conclude that within the area of interest the direct link between rivers and their close surroundings was only minimal. A significant role in shaping this relationship was played by a large anthropogenic modification of the entire floodplain area as well as the actual riverbed, which often causes completely different results. In areas where the floodplain ecosystem displayed relatively favourable environmental values, the relevant channel reach was degraded significantly, and vice versa. These facts point to longterm effects from anthropogenic pressure, which are manifested in the mutually and not well coordinated management of the river network and land-use system within the watershed

Sustainable use of natural resources in the Krkonoše Mountains National Park under climate change

The ongoing climate change and anthropogenic activities in the landscape can significantly influence the environmental values of the Krkonoše Mts. landscape and the resulting benefits for the humans. The paper presents selected partial results of the project, focused on the study of processes mentioned and mutual relations on the territory of the Krkonoše Mountains National Park. In particular, current problems and their causes were analysed in several key sectors related to the use of natural resources in the territory of the National Park – specifically agriculture, forestry, water resources, settlement structure and tourism. The topic is addressed using the DPSIR methodological framework whose individual components (socio-economic causes, pressures, state, profits and human responses) are quantified using a set of data available between 1991 and 2015. The development of the monitored indicators is expressed using an index of change, comparing the state at the beginning and the end of the given period. Based on the assessment of the development of individual DPSIR components, then it is possible to describe the trajectory of changes in the sub-sectors and to propose appropriate adaptation measures. The overall situation in water resources utilization can be described as rather positive, with a slightly improving trend. However, from the long-term point of view it will be necessary to realize measures to increasing water retention capacity of the landscape and maintain water consumption of big consumers, especially water for snowmaking of ski slopes.\n\

Brownfield dilemmas in the transformation of post-communist cities: a case study of Ostrava, Czech Republic

The main purpose of the paper is to analyse the procedures of urban brownfield solutions, with a focus on the environmental and cultural-historical aspects. The paper explores the dilemmas of brownfield regeneration and redevelopment. These processes are placed in the wider perspective of multi – transformation processes of post-communist cities. We compared two former industrial zones – Karolina and the Lower Area of Vítkovice in the city of Ostrava – where we illustrated the key factors influencing their transformation. These case studies point to a unique example of urban industrial brownfields concentrated within the area around the city centre, surrounded by residential zones. These brownfields also reveal the scope of the problem, as they are connected not only with the urban structure, but also with environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects. To research the issue in depth, we mostly used a qualitative approach to examine perceptions and to frame the brownfield issue. We partly applied frame analysis, a narrative approach and we also used research techniques such as document content analysis, and in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders who are involved in the remediation of brownfields and their subsequent re-use (N₌15). We researched how stakeholders perceive and frame the problem and which solutions they prefer. Moreover, having made a comparison of the state of affairs between 2001 and 2012, we presented a deeper insight into the topic. We found quite a wide range of opinions toward the brownfields issue and its solutions. The main issues were related to people striving to find the identity of the city and the tension between the old and the new: looking for the direction of future development and the face of the city of Ostrava. We identified location, level of environmental degradation and social-economic conditions as the main factors that influence the brownfield issue

Hydromorfologie toku jako klíč ke studiu environmentálních hodnot krajiny

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